Kandahar Pomegranates Exported to Qatar for the First Time

Local officials in Kandahar province confirm that pomegranate exports from the region to Qatar have begun for the first time, with a shipment of 20 tons of fresh pomegranates worth 30,000 US dollars sent to the country. Sabghatullah Faizi, a representative of the exporting company, stated that this is Kandahar’s inaugural experience exporting pomegranates to the Qatari market and efforts to expand Afghanistan’s exports to international markets will continue. He added that this shipment was carried out under the framework of a fresh fruit export development program. Meanwhile, local officials say that alongside Qatar, more than 22,000 tons of Kandahar pomegranates have been exported to Asian and European countries during the current year. Mohammad Hanif Haqmal, spokesperson for the Kandahar Directorate of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, announced that the total volume of pomegranate exports this year reached 22,500 tons. According to Haqmal, the export process continues with coordination from the Chamber of Commerce and financial support from Afghan traders; however, farmers emphasize that sustaining this process requires further facilitation in transit, marketing, and consistent support for producers. According to the Kandahar Directorate of Agriculture, the province has approximately 15,000 hectares of pomegranate orchards, producing nearly 274,000 tons of pomegranates annually.